Almost homeward bound

They have safely made it to Dhaka.  They are staying in a house that has cold A/C.  Before heading back to Dhaka they visited the village that the elephants had ran through.  They said it looked like a tornado had touched down.  But luckily, no one was killed. They also hosted a conference for 200 people. They traveled 10 hours by car to Dhaka.  The roads were horrible since it was the rainy season.  They saw an overturned bus on one of the roads.  And the locals said it was very common that that happened.   They are treated like royalty which Jessica says is  embarrassing for them.  They have to be at the airport at 1am Monday their time; 2pm Sunday our time.  They miss ice, razors, and running water.  All the little things that are taken for granted in our daily lives. 

Ponds and Bathing

Yes.....unfortunately that is their way of bathing.  Clean? No  Better than nothing? Yes
Jessica did have a fish jump over her head while she was bathing the other day.  They trekked 7 miles; app. 2 hours to a hospital where they were able to see babies born and people dying. It  is not any different from what you would experience at a hospital in the states.  The circle of life is truelly universal. 
The bugs are much worse this year.  So they are all hoping for no malaria. 
Jessica and Mike sponsor a child at a camp in Bangladesh and where able to visit that camp and actually met the child they sponsor.  They were able to give her a gift and they said it was a nice experience. 
Tomorrow they are to visit and "elephant" village.  A herd of elephants demolished five houses in the village.  They say this is quite common.  The stars there are amazing!!!  While walking through the woods they were able to turn off their flashlights and they saw thousands of fireflies.  They said it was beautiful.  They leave next Monday and return to DFW next Tuesday night around 11. I know this blog does not do all their experiences there justice.  But atleast we know that they are safe and having a great time. Until we hear from them again....have a blessed day!!

Rain.........

It is officially the rainy season in Bangladesh.  The good news is that it is cool.  The roads are flooded and they saw a dead cow floating in the river.  They visited Compassion Intl and a village of Hindu converts.  She said it was a wonderful experience.  They have met the kindess most giving people you could imagine. The ants love to snack on their hands and arms and they planted some plants at a hospital in ant beds.  Very painful.....they are missing anti-itch medicine.  Someone on their team picked up a poisonous frog and their hand itched horribly the rest of the day.  Mike has a bad cold but they luckily have amoxicilln.  Due to the constant rain they are staying wet.  Jessica washed their clothes but they have not dried yet.  So they are on day three of wearing the same clothes.  They saw a Hindu temple in a village where they were sacrificing goats, cows and ducks.  And prayed for many in that village.  Tomorrow they will make 5 mile walk to a hospital and stay there over night.  Happy Father's Day from Bangladesh!!!

Tiger Attack!!!!

Just kidding no tiger attack.  But Jessica did say that she was bit by a tiger..... but she followed it up with just kidding.  So really all is well.  They did see a 3 inch cricket, which is bad enough!!!!   They are enduring the heat and the chicken curry diet.  A lady at their house had a bug crawl in her ear in the night and Jessica was able to extract it with tweezers and alcohol.  I think Jessica decided to start sleeping with ear plugs. Yesterday, they hosted a youth conference for over 150 kids! Mike played soccer with all the kids.  He was the only one wearing tennis shoes and he kept stepping on all the kids feet.  So he decided to even the playing field and took off his shoes.  I thnk he wound up doing more damage to his own toes then the kids in the end.  Tomorrow they will go and visit other villages.  Continue to keep them in thier prayers as the Lord uses them for His work.

MADE IT!!!

Jessica and Mike arrived safely in Bagladesh Friday.  They said they had a great flight.  Jessica was able to have a gluten free meal and ironically Mike sat next to a man from Spain who plays the tuba.  On their first "official" day in Bangladesh, exhaustion was overwhelming.  But many good things happened as well,  Mike baptisized 18 people and they led a conference for over 100 people.  The Lord is already putting them to use!! They are already on their curry and rice diet and the heat is in full force.  But as they said- welcome to Bangladesh.  I will post things as often as Jessica and Mike send us updates.  Thank you for your continuing prayers for them.

Ready and Willing!

We leave in less than 48 hours and instead of packing, I am updating my iTunes, checking Bangladesh news and emailing! I know we have A LOT to do in the next 24 hours but I'm not too worried! The lawn, the bills, the packing, the mail...it is so easy to get caught up in the last minute preparation. But I came across an article tonight of a rickshaw driver in Bangladesh that is building a hospital with $4,000 savings. He is changing his village using every resource he has! I am so encouraged by his perseverance and dedication to his dream.(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18195227)

I am excited to know that in the next 72 hours I will be half a world away answering to a call much larger than I am! Mike and I are so excited to see friends from last year, visit children we met and continue to spread the Gospel. We are so eager to see what God has in store for us this year. Why did he ask us to go AGAIN? I know my mom is asking that question! It is so clear that he is calling us there this year. I don't know why, but I know we are ready (or will be...) and willing!


God Bless you all for supporting us! Mike and I are blessed with a wonderful family and supportive friends. For now, my sister Amanda will be updating the blog. Until then, we LOVE you all!

Back to Bangladesh!

It is hard to believe that it has been one year since our last trip to Bangladesh! We are leaving Thursday for round 2!This year we have a team of 9 (including me and Mike). We will be in Bangladesh for 20 days! We have an incredible opportunity this year to host a conference for the leaders of the churches in northern Bangladesh. The guys on our trip are focusing the conference on the five purposes of the church. The ladies will have an opportunity to break off into small groups with other women. In "lady-like" fashion, we will also focus on the church but include get to know you games, jewelry making and ooey gooey talks. We are really looking forward to it!

If you would like to help us along the trip, we ask that you pray! Pray that the Holy Spirit will speak through all of us as we witness to nonbelievers and speak at the conferences. We are NOT qualified to do this, but with the help of the Holy Spirit we can! Also ask that our team will be protected while we travel. Health, rest, good water and unity are all important! We will experience interesting foods and less than perfect water. Pray that our guts are receptive!

Below is a picture of our team. Top (Left to Right): Christy, Jeff, Mike, Kevin, Ryan  Bottom (Left to Right): Malabika, Jarrie, Jessica, Amanda

The Lord is faithful and He will provide for us every step of the way. Our team has prepared for 5 months for this trip. We can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us!